ad || thank you to so much to Gollancz and NetGalley for gifting me an e—arc of In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy

Wow. This book dragged me in and captivated me like a siren— irresistible and impossible to put down. The atmosphere was rich, the characters had the perfect chemistry, and the story pulled me under in the best way! Right from the get go, we get introduced to Imogen (a hidden siren) who is imprisoned in a kingdom by a ruthless king who hunts Sirens and has pinned a Siren’s wing for all who enter to see. We see events unravel - and some of my favourite tropes happening but I don’t want to spoil the fun! I wanted to inhale every phase and description like pure magic was captured between the pages.

Theo was such an interesting MMC - he’s awestruck by Imogen but not in an instalove way but instead in a Mr Darcy epic speech X mysterious way. Saying that, the two main characters also briefly reminded me of the main characters in the Plated Prisoner series so if you enjoy that you might love this one too.

My only regret is now having to wait until July for a physical copy! I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.

Tropes
🌊 Sirens
🌊 Touch her and ☠️
🌊 Blood bond
🌊 One horse
🌊 Prophecy
🌊 Forced proximity
🌊 Top notch banter

Did someone call 1-800-HOTMESS? Because this book is its headquarters and I loved every moment of the chaos. In the Veins of the Drowning delivered exactly the kind of emotional turbulence I didn’t know I craved. I was utterly besotted (IFYKYK) by Imogen and Theo: two magnetic, headstrong characters locked in duty, desire, and the looming dread of what’s to come.

What I really enjoyed was the rich folkloric thread running through the novel. Sirens here are no mere myth: they’re fierce and deeply intertwined with god's power, Cassidy reclaims them not as temptresses, but as women bound by their own agency, forging their own destinies written in salt and blood. The constant threat of war keeps the story taut, while the slow unraveling of loyalty and truth keeps the stakes high the entire time.

The ocean adds a brooding undercurrent of tension. The sea is a breathing and deadly force, echoing the tempestuous conflict not just for Imogen and Theo, but those around them that are swept up by their current. Imogen’s longing for a place of safety becomes a quiet indignant dream against the ever-churning tides and the haunting call of prophecies.

Theo, in contrast, gives us the gift of vulnerability. His emotional reckoning is gradual and messy, it haunted me and will continue to! Cassidy navigates his declarations with ease, letting grand moments land with weight each time. It’s rare to find a story that holds this much heat and heart without being overly stretched with cliches.

I need book 2 yesterday!

5⭐

"𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚."

Thank you Kalie Cassidy, Orion Publishing Group, Gollancz and NetGalley for the ARC!

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 by Kalie Cassidy is an evocative and immersive debut, a rich and atmospheric romantasy with a unique twist to the siren lore.

I loved everything about this book from the sirens, to the magic, the kingdoms, blood bonds and found family. Cassidy has done an amazing job to lure the readers like siren's song from her gorgeous purple prose.

The adventure and quests are set in a maritime or dark and grueling setting, where the stakes are high and every action and decision has consequences. I like the way that the words are strung together, the dark descriptions giving out visual images for the readers. The unique take on the siren lore felt fresh and utterly immersive, with the enchanting prose that effortlessly carried me along with narrative.

The cast of characters were splendid. The morally-greyness within them also had a soft side. The devotion, longing and angst that was between Theodore and Imogen was truly evocative, and their chemistry was complementing them all throughout. Reading about a man in his knees for a powerful woman to love him was truly a spending experience.

Aside from the romance, this book has another side to its story. There are Great Gods and Goddesses, Mage Seers and Sirens who each have a distinct part of the world's history and lore. Their stories coming together in the end with jaw-dropping twists was truly unexpected. The last hundred pages were slapping us with brutal revelations and backstories which had me second-guessing some of the characters' motives.

More than the romance and the quest, this book is also about a woman's survival, a woman's escape from a tyrant man's Kingdom, a powerful woman learning about herself and her powers and a powerful woman who learnt to put herself first and foremost before anyone else. It's a journey of healing and feminine rage boiling beneath the skin for a long time before finally unleashing the terror out.

Overall, this book is an evocative and immersive read to all those readers who love dark and grueling worlds, with strong women and feminine rage.

“The only piece of me that has found a true home is my heart.”

In The Veins Of The Drowning is everything I didn’t know I needed. Reading this book was super addictive, and as soon as I started, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the author’s style and couldn’t help but feel like I was traveling through a classical painting.
The book takes all the codes of fantasy and mythological retelling (sirens, here), you won’t feel lost BUT the author makes them hers by twisting them and adding a lot of originality. The resulting magical system and world is as familiar as it is unique and original, full of metaphors. I absolutely adored what she did about “marriage bonds” (and won’t elaborate to avoid spoilers) and all the implications it had for people (and for the story). The plot never stopped to surprise me (which isn’t so frequent) with the inventiveness and all the twists.
Imogen is such a great character, and I loved her trajectory, from a soft and protected ignorance to her feelings of guilt, then her quest –and rage. Theo was another great character, complex and full of nuances, fighting against his own demons.


Their relationship was *chef kiss* but here too I don’t want to reveal too much to avoid spoilers. I can’t help but have so many questions about the characters’ motivation and “true” feelings, about what does it mean, and I’m sure we will have the answers in book 2.
If I had to summarize, I would say that if you decide –as you should– to read In The Veins Of The Drowning, expect a mix of a fantasy full of politics, a mythology retelling, an initiatic journey, a enthralling romance and a lingering questioning about what and where home is… and to be wishing the sequel was already between your hands. Which leads me to my only one grief: I NEED to read book 2 and the wait will be so SO long… But I’ll wait if I must (OC), and as long as I’ll have to, and I’ll be there to know the end of the story when it’ll come.

Thank you to the author and gollancz for the eARC sent via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.